Lot 170: 1959 Porsche 356 Convertible D

There are numerous reasons why the 356 series came into being and also why Porsche became a major sports car manufacturer; the main one is that Professor Porsche was very impressed with what Piero Dusio was doing with uprated Fiat parts in the construction of his Cisitalias. These were excellent little sports and racing cars and Dr. Porsche wondered if he could do the same with Volkswagen parts. The first 356 was sold in July 1948 and production continued right through to 1965 in various guises and with numerous engines. As the company's first production model, the Porsche 356 set a new standard for small sports cars and gained its laurels in all manner of circuit racing and rallying. In October 1955, the 356A model was introduced; numerous innovations came with this new car based upon the experiences of the initial 356 series. The engine, suspension and transmission were all updated resulting in a far superior car. Three body styles were offered, all built by Reutter in Stuttgart: the coupe, the Speedster, and the cabriolet. By the end of the 1957, 3283 coupes, 542 cabriolets and 1416 speedsters had been built in an excellent year for production and car sales. The Porsche 356A Convertible D model is arguably the rarest "production" Porsche 356 model ever manufactured for a full year (Carreras being special order cars not made in groups on the assembly line, and the T6 "twin grille" Roadster was produced for only a few months). Only 1,331 Convertible Ds were made between August 1958 and September 1959. But the 1958 model bought change, particularly to the speedster. For some time, Ferry Porsche had been unhappy that the spartan nature of the original Speedster was not in keeping with the range of other Porsche models and so the Convertible D was born. The D stood for Drauz, a German coachbuilder who supplied the bodies. All in all, the Convertible D was a somewhat more practical car than the Speedster: a larger windshield, real side windows, and more comfortable seats while retaining the beautiful body lines and downward sloping beltline that now attracts so many 356 enthusiasts. The exceptional example presented here today belonged to the president of Volkswagen and resided within his private collection since its purchase. (The car has had only 2 owners). It also spent a few years at the Porsche Gmnd Museum as one of the few Convertible D's known to be in such original un-restored condition. It has no more than 44,000 miles recorded and the original accessories are included (even the original keys to inside door bags are available). The chassis number, according to the vendor, of 85912 matches those of the engine and gearbox, it is said to be entirely original, never restored AND in mint condition. As the car was kept in perfectly dry and controlled conditions, no corrosion has ever taken place and as a result, no remedial work has been needed. The car comes with a full history as well as having appeared in various magazines. It was then sold through the Gmnd Museum to its current owner in London. This must surely represent one of the rarest museum quality Porsches, we have had the pleasure to show.